Reading social interaction
Difficulty interpreting some implied meanings, facial expressions or unwritten social rules, or a need to consciously analyze what others seem to understand intuitively.
Autism Spectrum Disorder · adults and children
Asperger Syndrome and Autism Spectrum Disorder
The word “Asperger” remains widely used, but it is no longer a separate diagnosis in current classifications. Profiles formerly described as Asperger syndrome are now included within Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).
Feeling different from other people, having to consciously analyze social rules, being unusually sensitive to certain sensations, needing routines or developing highly intense interests can raise the possibility of ASD. No single feature is enough to reach a conclusion.
For a child or teenager: child / teenager ASD screening.
All ASD presentationsNot only the profile formerly called Asperger syndrome.
Adults and childrenFeatures change with age and context.
Screening or assessmentA first orientation or a broader evaluation.
Asperger syndrome or Autism Spectrum Disorder?
In current classifications, the former diagnosis of Asperger syndrome is included within Autism Spectrum Disorder. It is therefore no longer a separate diagnostic category.
It is also too simplistic to say that “Asperger = Level 1 ASD.” Support levels describe the person's current support needs in relevant domains and are not a simple translation of the former Asperger category.
Why keep the word “Asperger”?
Because it remains widely used and searched for, and because it can still be important to people who previously received that diagnosis. Keeping the term makes the page easier to find without presenting it as a separate current diagnosis.
A different way of functioning, with strengths and sometimes difficulties
Autism is a neurodevelopmental condition. It can be associated with genuine strengths such as deep knowledge in selected areas, sustained focus, original thinking, precision and attention to detail. It can also involve significant difficulties in social interaction, flexibility, sensory processing or adapting to particular environments.
The aim of diagnosis is neither to pathologize difference nor to romanticize it. It is to understand the person's functioning, strengths and possible needs accurately.
What are the main characteristics?
Starting and maintaining relationships
A sense of being different, difficulty initiating or maintaining some relationships, fatigue after social interaction or a strong need for time alone to recover.
Routines, change and interests
A strong need for predictability, discomfort with change, routines, repetition or particularly intense and absorbing interests.
Hyper- or hyposensitivity
Unusual sensitivity to noise, light, smell, texture, touch or temperature, but sometimes reduced sensitivity to certain sensations.
No single sign is enough
Avoiding eye contact at times, having few friends, being highly sensitive or having intense interests does not by itself mean that someone is autistic. What matters is the overall pattern, developmental history and impact on everyday functioning.
Why seek a diagnosis or comprehensive assessment?
For some people, understanding that they are autistic finally makes sense of a lifelong feeling of being different. Experiences previously interpreted as shyness, awkwardness, lack of effort or excessive sensitivity can then be understood differently.
Understand yourself more clearly
Connect your history, relationships, sensory processing, need for recovery and way of processing information.
Distinguish between different possibilities
Differentiate ASD from HIP, ADHD, social anxiety or a combination of several patterns.
Adapt your environment
Identify the situations that consume the most energy and the adjustments or strategies that may genuinely help.
FIRST STEP
Still unsure?
Screening explores the possibility of ASD across its different presentations before you decide whether a full assessment would be useful.
Take the ASD / Asperger screening testASSESSMENT
Would you rather explore it directly?
A comprehensive assessment looks more broadly at developmental history, current functioning and alternative explanations.
Schedule an assessmentASD in girls and women: masking
In some girls and women, autistic features are less likely to be noticed because compensatory strategies develop early: observing and imitating social behavior, mentally preparing conversations, consciously managing eye contact or facial expressions, or developing interests that appear socially typical.
This masking can create an impression of ease while requiring substantial effort. Fatigue after interaction, a strong need to recover alone, periods of exhaustion or the sense of “playing a role” can therefore be important clues.
Read more: Autistic masking in adults: five signs you may have learned to hide, with everyday examples and a French-language video.
High Intellectual Potential or ASD?
High Intellectual Potential and ASD are distinct. Some experiences can overlap: feeling different, having highly developed interests, atypical social relationships or sensory differences.
A person can also be both intellectually gifted and autistic. Assessment then needs to distinguish what reflects very high cognitive intelligence, autistic functioning, possible ADHD or other factors.
Very high cognitive intelligence
HIP is defined by particularly high cognitive abilities demonstrated through psychometric assessment.
HIP screening →A neurodevelopmental condition
ASD involves a persistent pattern of social communication differences and restricted or repetitive behaviors, interests or needs for sameness that begin in the developmental period.
ASD screening →Attention, impulsivity and hyperactivity
ADHD can coexist with ASD and may explain some difficulties with organization, concentration or regulation.
ADHD screening →How should possible ASD be assessed?
An ASD diagnosis should not rest on one questionnaire or a handful of isolated traits. A comprehensive assessment aims to understand the person's functioning as a whole.
Current functioning
Social communication, relationships, routines, interests, flexibility, sensory processing and everyday adaptation.
Developmental history
Features present in childhood, how they changed over time and compensatory strategies developed across the lifespan.
Differential diagnosis
HIP, ADHD, anxiety and other possible explanations need to be considered.
Conclusion and recommendations
The aim is to reach a reasoned understanding of the profile and, where useful, provide tailored recommendations.
Screening is not diagnosis
Screening can help determine whether the possibility deserves further assessment. No single questionnaire can establish an ASD diagnosis on its own.
What can cause distress?
Being autistic does not necessarily mean being distressed. Difficulties can arise when the environment does not fit the person's needs, when the effort required to adapt becomes excessive, or when a coexisting condition is present.
Social overload
Constant effort to decode interactions, monitor behavior or mask reactions.
Sensory overload
Noise, light, smell, touch or unpredictable environments can become extremely tiring.
Coexisting conditions
ADHD, anxiety, depression or obsessive-compulsive difficulties can coexist with ASD and may require specific support.
Being misunderstood
When genuine needs are interpreted as bad behavior or lack of effort, exhaustion and the sense of difference can increase.
Two screening pathways
Adult ASD / Asperger screening
Explore the possibility of ASD across its different presentations in adulthood.
Adult screeningChild / teenager ASD screening
For parents wondering about their child's social, sensory or behavioral functioning.
Child / teenager screeningFrequently asked questions
Does Asperger syndrome still exist as a diagnosis?
Not as a separate diagnosis in current classifications. Profiles previously diagnosed as Asperger syndrome are now included within Autism Spectrum Disorder.
Does Asperger automatically mean Level 1 ASD?
No. The former Asperger diagnosis is not automatically equivalent to a specific support level.
Can an autistic person have friends?
Yes. Having friends or an active social life does not rule out ASD.
Can someone be both HIP and autistic?
Yes. High Intellectual Potential and ASD can coexist and should be assessed separately.
Why are some people diagnosed only in adulthood?
Autistic features may have been compensated for or masked for many years and may become more visible as social or professional demands increase.
Can an online questionnaire diagnose ASD?
No. Screening can help estimate whether the possibility deserves further assessment, but diagnosis requires a more comprehensive evaluation.
Have you been wondering for a long time whether you may be autistic?
You can start with screening for an initial analysis of this possibility, or request a comprehensive assessment directly.
